[DeTomaso] Wilkinson Carrera shocks

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/31/09 17 22 21, andriykoisg at yahoo.ca writes:


> Has anyone installed the Wilkinson height adjustable shocks?
> 
>>>Yup, got 'em on my car and have installed them on others too.
>  
> What height should they be set at? 
> 
>>>Set to personal preference.   Generally, they should be set so that the 
lower A-arms are completely flat and parallell to the ground; that is lower 
than the US cars were originally set, but the US cars were artificially 
jacked up (spoiling the handling) to raise the headlights to meet DOT standards.

To set the car up *properly* you need corner-weighting scales.   It's 
possible to really screw up the car's handling by not having the individual 
shocks set properly (which doesn't necessarily mean having them set up the same 
as one another).

High-end alignment shops will have corner-weighting scales.   The car is 
set on the scales, and measurements are taken from the bottom of the body to 
the ground.   Setting the ride height on each shock can be counter-intuitive, 
because you may want to lower the left rear, for instance, but the scales 
will tell you that what you need to do raise the right front instead (which 
will transfer weight to the left rear).

Or something like that.   PCNC had a tech clinic years ago where Gary Roys 
(a POCA member and professional chassis engineer) fiddled around with the 
shocks on a dozen or so cars to optimize them.
>  
> >With the wheels off and the car on jacks .... when I set them for a low 
> ride height the shocks extent to the point where the spring is not held in 
> place by the shock.  Is this right?
> 
> >>>Yup, that's normal.   Mine came with the top of the spring secured to 
the top of the shock mount with zip ties.

It won't be an issue once the car has weight on it; even if you fly the car 
over a jump, the springs should still find their happy spot...

Mike
> 


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